ON DECK: TEXAS RANGERS AT ASTROS
When/where: Monday at 6:10 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.; Minute Maid Park.
TV/radio: ATTSW, BSSW; 790 AM, 740 AM, 1010 AM (Spanish).
Pitchers: Monday, RHP Hunter Brown (MLB debut) vs. LHP Martín Pérez (10-5, 2.89); Tuesday, LHP Framber Valdez (14-4, 2.63) vs. RHP Glenn Otto (6-8, 4.82); Wednesday, RHP Cristian Javier (8-9, 3.07) vs. TBD. Astros (86-48) update: Houston’s all-time record in its 61st season as a franchise is 4,811-4,812, putting it on the threshold of getting to .500 for the first time since it was 3,519-3,519 after a victory on May 14, 2006. The high-water mark in franchise history was four games over .500 (3,516-3,512) after a victory on May 4, 2006. … Brown is regarded as the organization’s top pitching prospect. In 23 appearances (14 starts) for Class AAA Sugar Land this season, the 24-year-old righthander posted a 2.55 ERA, best among Pacific Coast League qualifiers and a phenomenal 1.27 better than the 3.82 of runner-up César Valdez of Salt Lake. In 106 innings, Brown compiled a 9-4 record and 1.08 WHIP, striking out 134 and walking 45. … Valdez’s streak of quality starts is up to 22, the longest in MLB history by a lefthander. It also ties him with Bob Gibson (1968 Cardinals) and Chris Carpenter (2005 Cardinals) for the second-longest streak within a single season. Only Jacob deGrom had a longer one (24 in 2018, which he padded to 26 in 2019).
Rangers (58-75) update: Texas, coming off a four-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox, has lost its last eight games and is 4-12 against the Astros, including a two-game sweep last week at Minute Maid Park. … At the end of May, the Rangers were 24-24. As Labor Day arrives, one loss in this series officially eliminates them from the AL West race. … Marcus Semien has reached base in 16 consecutive games. His 21 home runs rank second to Jose Altuve’s 23 among major league second basemen. … Nathaniel Lowe has an MLB-best 62 hits since the All-Star break. He presently ranks third for the season in the AL with 148 and stands fourth in batting average (.305) and seventh in OPS (.861). … Since June 1, Semien and Lowe have 20 home runs apiece. Among American League players, only Aaron Judge (35) has more. … Catcher Meibrys Viloria is hitless in his last 30 at-bats.